European Exploration and Settlement

Early AmericaChapter 1

Why do people originally come to America?

Food- hunting, farming

Where do they go and why?

South Climate Soil Rivers Oceans Animals

What civilizations develop?

Maya Inca Aztec North American-plains, south, west,

northeast Hundreds of tribes, cultures, etc… by the

time Europeans come over

What is going on in Europe?

Renaissance Ideas Spread

Literacy Curiosity Adventure Individualism

Tumultuous Religious Times

Crusades Reformation Inquisition Church of England People looking to create new

churches, escape persecution

In Brief…

European powers- Spain, England, France, Netherlands

Look to expand power overseas- more land, $- countries compete

Leads to conflict between powers and also with Natives

4 Main Reasons to explore

1. Spices2. Gold3. Religion4. Glory / Adventure

Pre-1500 Explorers

Columbus

Proposes alternative route to Asia Four voyages Lands in Caribbean Beginning of the clash of cultures

• Ponce de Léon – Florida• Balboa – crossed Panama and saw Pacific

ConquistadorsCortés – AztecsPizarro – Incas

Other Spaniards

The Spanish Legacy

Indians almost wiped out- disease, war

Horses brought to New World Guns Language / Culture

Dutch and English

Catholic Spain is getting very wealthy Gold and silver from Mexico and Peru

King Phillip II wants to use power to suppress Protestantism

Rebellion in Spanish Netherlands Causes - Wealth and religion

English help Dutch against Spain Marks beginning of Spain’s decline

The Balance of Power Changes

Spain’s Empire will decline Dutch and English will become

stronger English will prevail over Dutch England and France will then compete England will prevail over French

English Begin their Ascendancy

Mercantilism Economic Theory 16th to 18th century

Increase amount of capital (money) by favorable balance of trade

Need export more than import

French Seaport 1638

Economic Changes in England Causes hardships for many:

a. Inflation from imported precious metals from Mexico causes harm to those with fixed income – the “landed classes”

b. Increased rents on tenant farmers c. Charity limited - Henry VIII confiscation of monastic

lands limits amount of charity religious proprietors could give - businessmen who replaced them were not inclined to do so

d. Unemployment- widening wool market resulted in conversion of farms to pastures for sheep causing unemployment for hundreds of laborers – enclosure movement

Many become landless and impoverishedMany forced to become Indentured Servants

Colonization Commercial class develops:

Wealth created from trade and plunder accumulates in new class

New commercial companies - including East India Company (1600) to trade with Orient formed

Men willing to invest Failures

Sir Humphrey Gilbert – 1580s – Newfoundland Sir Fernando Gorgas – Maine Sir Walter Raleigh – North Carolina

Merchants start to invest Joint Stock Companies Virginia Company - Jamestown

New Spain Francisco Vásquez de Coronado 1540 – Moves North from Mesoamerica ‘Discovers’ Grand Canyon Explores Rio Grande Valley Moves east to present day Kansas

New Spain Hernando de Soto 1539 to 1540 Fights his way through the southeast Battles with Native Americans Spain temporarily loses interest

New France 1530 – Jacques Cartier

Explores St. Lawrence Jacques Cartier heard Iroquoian word "kanata",

which means town or village, he thought it was the name used for the country.

Samuel de Champlain Founds Quebec 1608 Allied with Hurons against Iroquois Weapons for furs

Company of New France – Cardinal Richelieu Gains monopoly on fur trade 1628

French Policy Few French move to “New World” Those who do are mostly fur traders & trappers

WHY??Conditions in France were different

Less dispossession of peasants from land than in Britain

Few government incentives to emigrate Huguenots (French Protestants) forbidden from

settling in Quebec Many who do come – return to France

Climate, Farming is hard, lack of women

New Netherlands Dutch interested in commerce Henry Hudson - Half Moon – 4

voyages Dutch East India Company 1609 – ‘Discovers’ Hudson

River – 3rd voyage Peter Minuit

1624 – ‘buys’ Manhattan Patroon system develops

Wealthy settle tenants and receive title to land

Keeps emigration numbers small

England’s First Permanent Settlement Jamestown

1606 – James I grants Charters to commercial companies (the Virginia Companies) to establish colonies in America. Plymouth Company - Granted right to settle

between Maine and NY 1607-1608 established colony on Kennebec

London Company – Granted right to settle From the Potomac south to present day S.C.

Note: - early English colonization undertaken by private individuals NOT by crown as in Spain and Portugal.

Joint Stock Companies Remember: These are private companies Stock (shares in the company) is issued to

investors Investors share the risk and the return

Question:Who is going to be able to invest?

The wealthySetting the stage for New World Development

Virginia Company

Had right to settle in Southern Virginia To “propagate Christian religion” among

“infidels and savages” Sail with 3 ships

(Goodspeed, Discovery and the Sarah Constant)

Hard voyage 104 surviving colonists founded Jamestown

on Chesapeake - 1607 Named James River after King

Hardships and reasons for suffering

Reasons Colonists were totally Unprepared

Some settlers were “Gentlemen” – without skills Others were Adventurers – only interested in gold Both neglect to plant crops for future Too busy searching for gold

Location Malaria Chose a fever stricken peninsula, appalling

death rate from malaria breeding low lying swamps Initially Helped by natives – John Smith “It pleased God to move the Indians to bring us

corn….” Internal Dissension

John Smith Takes Over

Resourceful - keeps colony alive after he becomes leader

Organizes work - blockhouses built, corn planted, well dug, houses erected

Indian Policy - firm and able to trade with them, opposes gold hunting. Friendship with Pocahontas

injured in gunpowder explosion, deposed by his enemies and he returns in

England in 1609

1609 Company Reorganization More settlers had

arrived – 400 or so Conditions

worsening when Smith leaves

The “Starving Time” – only 60 settlers left

Planning on leaving

Baron De La Warr (Delaware) arrived with supplies

Colony Survives Four factors keep colony viable Tobacco becomes an export crop after John

Rolfe learns how to cure Private property permitted - productivity

increased Political reform 1619 - House of Burgesses

-first representative assembly in America Women sent - families

Private propertyHeadright System

100 acres to every freeman coming to Virginia

50 additional acres for each person pay to bring over

Indentured servants Consequences –

wealthy have land and control

Puritan New England

There were two waves of Puritan immigration to N.E.

Common beliefs Wanted to “Purify” the Anglican Church Felt too much like Roman Catholic

Church which Henry VIII had abolished Followed teachings of John Calvin

How might this group of colonists have been different from early settlers to Jamestown?

Puritan Beliefs Original Sin – belief that all humans are sinful

(inherited sin of Adam and Eve) and that deserved to be damned to hell

It was a sign God’s mercy that anyone was saved at all

Predestination – destiny decided before birth – nothing one did in life could alter that fact

Lead a moral life – couldn’t earn salvation – but was a sign that person had God’s favor – very strict in examining their own behavior and everyone else’s. Sinnners severely punished

Idleness was a sin – God required everyone to work at their “calling”

Bible is literal Word of God – leads to high literacy rates

Separatists Dissenters agreed on what was wrong with

Church of England Disagreed on what should be done Some wanted to reform it from within Others wanted to Separate from it James I determined to punish Separatists 1608 – flee to Holland – which was tolerant Too tolerant – young are going astray Then decide to migrate to America

Plymouth Separatists were led by William Bradford Felt were on a holy migration or

pilgrimage Become known as Pilgrims Sail on the Mayflower Land in NE in 1620 Not on Virginia Company land and

therefore outside the company’s charter

Mayflower Compact

Were afraid that others outside their group would challenge their authority

Purpose of the compact was to frame “just and equal laws… For the general good of the colony”

Laws approved by the majority would be binding on minority

Emphasize individual work and responsibility Limited Power of state over religion Want religious freedom for themselves – less

tolerant of others as we will see

Help from Indians Harsh NE Weather Many die during the

winter Samoset appears

and introduces Squanto

Show how to plant and fish

Community survives and expands

Massachusetts Bay Another group of Puritans John Winthrop obtains another charter Massachusetts Bay Company

Land grant fails to state where company’s headquarters should be

Winthrop moves it to NE Authority for independent government Establish Puritanism as state supported

and exclusive religion